The Rios brothers, each with a drink in hand, observed that only
the battles between Sunday Silence and Easy Goer in the 1989 Triple
Crown races offered comparable drama to the lead up to Saturday's
race. Big Brown was the 11th horse since Affirmed won the Triple
Crown in 1978 to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and his
trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr. had guaranteed victory in the week leading
up to the Belmont.

However, Tracy Thomas, a bartender and 25-year employee of the
track, might have summed it up best.

"It's all about days like this," said the Solana Beach resident.
"Regular days are about gambling, today is about people and (being)
social."